One surprise entrant in the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Playground Poker Club in Montreal was Guy Laliberté. The Cirque du Soleil co-founder was once a fixture on the high-roller scene and played some memorable sessions on High Stakes Poker, including a $1.2 million pot against David Benyamine.
Laliberté hasn’t been seen at the tables in years, but he’s still connected to the game through the high-stakes tournaments that raise money for his philanthropic organization, the One Drop Foundation, which focuses on providing access to safe drinking water worldwide.
But our eyes weren’t deceiving us — Laliberté was in the $2,500 buy-in event and graciously gave us an interview during the dinner break.
'The problem for me is that tournaments take a lot of time'
Guy, it’s amazing to see you here in Montreal, just hanging out playing some poker at the Playground WSOPC event. What brought you here?
Actually, I've never been here before. A lot of friends have been coming, and it's my birthday weekend, so I said, ‘Okay, it’s been a long time since I played a tournament.’ If I boss it, I'll play the high roller tomorrow.
Poker fans remember you from your appearances on High Stakes Poker.
Ah, that’s a different life.
What’s your poker life like these days?
I have kids who are young, so I play $2/4 with them and have just as much fun. I've been pretty busy lately working intensively on new things, so I’ve stayed away from the big scene. I'm just having fun playing home games with friends.
Are any of these home game friends people we may know?
Well, yeah… Jonathan Duhamel. Antonio [Esfandiari] comes sometimes. We just play like friends and have a good time — good food, good wine, and we try to challenge each other. I've been watching a lot of the Triton games as well, which have some of my old friends playing. The problem for me is that tournaments can take a long time, and I'm moving so much in my life, I can’t afford to miss things.
You're still involved with One Drop — do you have any more tournaments coming up?
Yes, we're doing it again this year.
'A guy like me never retires'
We see a lot of music content on your Instagram account — tell us about this.
Actually, my music's always been my passion. So, when I decided to not play as much poker, I had my studio at home. We're jamming and producing records, and it's my medicine, so to speak.
You sold your stake in Cirque du Soleil, which you're obviously very well known for founding. It’s still one of the greatest things in entertainment. Do you miss it?
No, I don't. I miss my friends. You know, when you make such a decision, you process the emotion that goes with it. I’m still very close, and I visit them. I'm actually remixing the music, so we have a deal together. It’s a small circle as well, so I kept in contact with a lot of the people.
You went to space some years back, which is something people dream of. First off, how incredible was that, and how does it compare to cracking aces in a big pot?
First of all, I hate aces. I prefer nine-deuce. You know, obviously it was a privilege, especially having done it the old-school way, because now there are all these modern spaceships. I'm very happy that I was the last participant with the Russian old school. I loved that.
You've done almost everything you could possibly dream of in your life. What's in your future?
Well, a guy like me never retires. Actually, I'm trying to retire from stress. I’ve been working on a lot. Right now, I’m focused on this new chapter — where the digital and physical worlds need to find balance for the future of humanity. That’s what I’m flirting with at the moment.
